Connecting with our ancestors allows us to learn from them and celebrate their existence. In spirituality, the term ancestor can refer to a range of people. It may refer to who we were in a past life, our genetic ancestors, or simply those who lived in this world before we were born. It can be difficult to really relate to our ancestors, mainly because they are not physically here.
However, their spirits and energy are still around us, and an ancestor Tarot spread can help us connect with them.
Free Ancestor Tarot Spread
If you’d like help, I can do a free Tarot reading on your behalf within an hour. Not just a couple of cards and their meanings but an actual spread to give you some insight into your own path and your connection with your ancestors.
How To Perform an Ancestor Tarot Spread
This six-card ancestor Tarot spread allows you to explore the different ways your ancestors are helping you on your own journey and what you can do to honor them.
Before doing this spread, take a moment to center yourself with your deck. Light candles or incense to bring spiritual energy to the reading. This will help you to connect with the ancestors around you and receive messages.
Shuffle the deck and draw six cards.
Card One: Ancestors Around You
The first card pulled in this ancestor spread represents any ancestors that are around you right now. As spirits and the energy of those we have lost are still in the universe alongside us, we are able to connect with them through spirituality.
This card will usually represent a person who is in your family tree. However, don’t worry if you can’t pinpoint the exact ancestor this card is referring to! You simply need to acknowledge the kind of person this ancestor is.
Card Two: Ancestors Within You
The second card reflects ancestors that are within you. It may reveal who you were in a past life or someone from your family history that is deeply connected to you.
The ancestor revealed in this card is a part of you. Again, you don’t need to pinpoint the exact ancestor. Simply knowing their traits allows you to connect with them.
Card Three: Gifts From Your Ancestors
The third card in this spread reveals gifts you have received from your ancestors. It shows you traits and strengths that have been passed down through generations and now exist within you.
Knowing the gifts, you have received from your ancestors allows you to develop your connection with them and acknowledge how they help you in life.
Card Four: Knowledge From Your Ancestors
The fourth card pulled in this spread represents knowledge from your ancestors that you can connect with. You may know what this card represents, but it is useful to reflect on the lives of your ancestors when trying to figure this card out.
By reflecting on the lives of our ancestors, we can learn from them and allow their knowledge to help us on our own journey in life.
Card Five: How To Honor Your Ancestors
The fifth card represents what you can do in order to honor your ancestors. This will show you what you can do to give back to those that have come before you, thanking them for the gifts and knowledge they have provided you.
Card Six: Advice From Your Ancestors
The last card pulled in this spread reflects advice from your ancestors. Many of our ancestors are still with us and want to guide us throughout our life.
The meaning of this card may be obvious, but you may wish to meditate with it for a while to truly understand the messages from your ancestors.
Asking The Tarot: What Do I Need to Know About My Ancestors?
A great way of connecting with your ancestors is simply asking the cards, ‘what do I need to know about my ancestors’ and pulling a card. Because this is a simple and open spread, you may find out new things about your ancestors and how they are helping you in life.
Draw a card and see what messages you can understand from it. If you want, draw another to clarify the first card.
Three-Card Ancestors Tarot Reading
The three-card reading is also an option if you want a quick and simple spread. This gives an accurate answer, but I’ll leave it to you to decide how deep you want to go on your journey.
You can extend this reading to four cards with an additional qualifying card, but if it isn’t painting a clear path for you, I’d suggest taking the time with the complete spread.
Important Cards for Ancestor Tarot Spreads
When performing an ancestor Tarot spread, certain cards are pretty important! Let’s look at a few Tarot cards to look out for when wishing to connect with your ancestors.
Most of these cards are those that represent a certain type of person, as they will show you what ancestors are around you right now.
The Empress
The Empress represents a feminine, nurturing individual. It has an energy of care and support and signifies a person who is elegant and sensual.
If the Empress appears in an ancestor Tarot spread, it reveals to you the presence of an ancestor who has these traits. By celebrating your own femininity and tapping into your caring side, you are able to honor this ancestor and learn from them.
The Emperor
The Emperor represents a father figure. It has an energy of authority and structure and will usually signify someone who provides stability and support for those around them.
Just like the Empress, if the Emperor appears in an ancestor Tarot card reading, it reveals the presence of an ancestor who has these traits. Their spirit is around you right now, and what can you do to celebrate and honor them? When the Emperor appears, explore how you can be a supportive person for those you care about.
Related Spreads
When we use the Tarot to connect with our ancestors, it opens up new ways we can connect with spirits. There are many more ways we can connect with past lives, spirits, and deities through Tarot.
Here are some related spreads to explore:
- A past life Tarot spread can help you explore your own history throughout the universe.
- You can also use Tarot to connect with your spirit guide Tarot spread. Your spirit guide may be an ancestor, an angel, or an animal.